Opel rolls out innovative campaign to engage urban twentysomethings for the new Corsa

Rüsselsheim (ots) -

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http://www.presseportal.de/galerie.htx?type=obs -

Funky Cloth Characters and an innovative media mix are the key
elements in an integrated through-the-line campaign to promote the
new Corsa

Opel has reveald guerrilla marketing and attitude as the key
elements of an innovative through-the-line campaign used to position
its new Corsa with trendy, urban 20-30 year-old Europeans.

The twenty-something market is defined and controlled by the
individual. Today's twentysomethings regard the products they
purchase as extensions of their own personalities - they mix and
match brands to create their own individualistic, distinctive look.
Credibiltiy and Authenticity are key factors that any brand needs to
consider when communicating with this target. Opel's strategy in
marketing the new Corsa was to give the car a clearly identifiable
twentysomething (male and female) appeal that is spirited, dynamic
and fun, positioning the car as a “must have” for this target
audience.

'“Fun, stylish, simply cool!”: these are the key attributes of the
new Corsa', said Alain Visser, Executive Director European
Opel/Vauxhall Marketing, adding: “to make sure we remain faithful to
those brand values and to make sure twenty-something Eurbanites could
relate to the car saw us deviate from the polished 'bells and
whistles' mainstream campaigns normally used to launch new models.”

To accomplish its positioning objectives, Opel devised a
communications campaign that is authentic, unique, fresh, sympathetic
and energetic - with a dash of unconventional humor, to help launch
the new Corsa throughout Europe.

Opel first enlisted one of the most renowned - German urban artist
known for subversive underground art - to create five characters
that reflect the spirit and youthful zest of the new Opel Corsa.
Playing on his previous works Hoppek created the C.M.O.N.S., five
funky puppets, each with its own unique identity and history,
reflecting various psychographic profiles of today's
twentysomethings. Best friends and together members of The C.M.O.N.S
band, White, Moo, Blue, Red, and Cherri came to life in the hip urban
underground scene of Barcelona.

Just before the C.M.O.N.S. began covertly infiltrating the public
domain the new Opel Corsa was launched to the automotive trade press
at a chic premiere on July 17th at the London Motor Show.

The first phase of the communications campaign ran saw the
roll-out of pan-European guerrilla marketing & PR tactics to create
credibility for and generate buzz around the C.M.O.N.S. Over the
summer months the C.M.O.N.S invaded the Eurbanites' world in many
unconventional ways. A non-branded micro-site (www.thecmons.com) as
the central hub for all pan Europen viral communications kicked-off
the tease phase, flagged by a viral seeding campaign, soon to be
followed by stickering that saw the C.M.O.N.S appear on everything
from traffic-lights to construction site barricades; C.M.O.N.S
posters and jetwash murals (positive grafitti), under bridges, in
alleyways and on derelict buildings in cities throughout Europe;
Content placement on user generated content portals and communities
like, Myspace.com or YouTube.com added to the credibility of the
characters, while C.M.O.N.S boomerang cards were found in every
trendy restaurant, bar and nightclub from Paris to Berlin, and the
characters themselves began to pop up at major European summer
festivals, such as Lovelands in The Netherlands and even ended up on
consumers mobile devices and PC with C.M.O.N.S. mobile and MSN
Messenger theme packs.

Neither were the media spared: journalists from key hip lifestyle
press across Europe found mysterious C.M.O.N.S packages awaiting them
on their desks - Cherri baskets; Blue-branded boxers; Moo boxes, and
rust-coloured scarves from Red. Press releases presenting the
C.M.O.N.S. were simultaneously sent to journalists to add on to these
guerrilla activities.

The pan-European PR campaign was complemented by C.M.O.N.S. radio
competitions in Germany, France and Spain, as well as online
collaborations and communication in all markets. Media and the public
were directed to the C.M.O.N.S.' website where each of the characters
had their own Blog, virals of Blue and Red hit the web, and an online
C.M.O.N.S. competition in Italy offered two top prizes of four
tickets to attend the MTV Bologna Day on 16 September.

MTV was a key strategic partner for Opel in reaching the target
audience. MTV Under The Radar, created by MTVNI Creative, is a
'rockumentary' that charts the career of The C.M.O.N.S. a renowned
puppet rock band. Through the 'rockumentary,' viewers have the
opportunity to get up close and personal with the band to learn more
about their personalities and the often scandalous events that
surround their showbiz lifestyle. The series, which includes four
one minute programme vignettes plus a teaser campaign, uncovers
intriguing secrets about The C.M.O.N.S. through interviews with
various live action characters who worked with the band, including a
plastic surgeon, groupie, music manager, strip club owner and the
lead singer's girlfriend. The MTV campaign was complemented by an
official MTV Under The Radar microsite www.mtvutr.com. The microsite
features artist biographies, paparazzi shots, photo gallery, music,
discography, the viral campaign and downloadable wallpapers. The
website is also supported by an official The C.M.O.N.S band site.
Other assets produced for the band include album covers, magazine
covers and behind the scenes photography with the band. Additionally,
eight rock tracks were commissioned for the series and written and
produced by 'The Outcomes,' a real band who sing the actual the songs
performed by The C.M.O.N.S.

The partnership is topped of with Opel being on of the main
sponsors of the 2006 MTV European Music Awards on November 2nd , 2006
in Copenhagen. Making the new Corsa the official wheels of the event
and creating the basis for a Pan European consumer promotion to take
place in October 2006.

The link between the C.M.O.N.S. and Opel was progressively
revealed towards the end of September, at different times in each of
the key European markets. A high-profile above-the-line campaign
featuring the C.M.O.N.S. will kick off throughout the seven key
European markets. The campaign will introduce the new Opel Corsa to a
wider mainstream public, with whom Opel will use the launch of the
new Corsa to initiate an important shift for Opel.

Originaltext: Adam Opel GmbH
digital press kits: http://presseportal.de/story.htx?firmaid=59486
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Contact:
Jean-Philippe Kempf
Telephone: 06142-7-66651

Text and photos can be downloaded from the Internet at
http://media.opel.com.